Narrative:

During the last facility evaluation, the evaluators told us (waco ATCT, waco, tx) not to log items such as light bulb outages on the facility log, FAA form 7230-4. If an item such as an indicator light on the radar control panel fails, it is no longer logged on FAA form 7230-4, but is written down on an 'unofficial notepad' and hopefully the af technician will see it. More and more equipment outages are being omitted from FAA form 7230-4 and put on the 'unofficial notepad.' this, in effect, amounts to a cover-up of equipment problems. On oct/xx/94, radar channel a began displaying numerous false targets on the tower d- BRITE, these false targets would 'shadow' the actual target by about 3 mi. Clutter on the scope was increased (double the number of targets, and traffic issuance was difficult due to confusion over what was real traffic and what was false. Nothing was logged on FAA form 7230-4 and the malfunction was written in the 'unofficial notepad.' the next day (fri) the airframe technician stated that he did not know what was wrong, then left work for the wkend, thus leaving the radar channel malfunctioning (unofficially) for at least 4 days. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the new facility manager has started following the handbook on equipment outages and has asked the region for an interpretation about the evaluator's instructions. Reporter feels problem has been solved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR. ATC FACILITY MGMNT NON COMPLIANCE WITH HANDBOOK 7230.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST FACILITY EVALUATION, THE EVALUATORS TOLD US (WACO ATCT, WACO, TX) NOT TO LOG ITEMS SUCH AS LIGHT BULB OUTAGES ON THE FACILITY LOG, FAA FORM 7230-4. IF AN ITEM SUCH AS AN INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE RADAR CTL PANEL FAILS, IT IS NO LONGER LOGGED ON FAA FORM 7230-4, BUT IS WRITTEN DOWN ON AN 'UNOFFICIAL NOTEPAD' AND HOPEFULLY THE AF TECHNICIAN WILL SEE IT. MORE AND MORE EQUIP OUTAGES ARE BEING OMITTED FROM FAA FORM 7230-4 AND PUT ON THE 'UNOFFICIAL NOTEPAD.' THIS, IN EFFECT, AMOUNTS TO A COVER-UP OF EQUIP PROBS. ON OCT/XX/94, RADAR CHANNEL A BEGAN DISPLAYING NUMEROUS FALSE TARGETS ON THE TWR D- BRITE, THESE FALSE TARGETS WOULD 'SHADOW' THE ACTUAL TARGET BY ABOUT 3 MI. CLUTTER ON THE SCOPE WAS INCREASED (DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF TARGETS, AND TFC ISSUANCE WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO CONFUSION OVER WHAT WAS REAL TFC AND WHAT WAS FALSE. NOTHING WAS LOGGED ON FAA FORM 7230-4 AND THE MALFUNCTION WAS WRITTEN IN THE 'UNOFFICIAL NOTEPAD.' THE NEXT DAY (FRI) THE AIRFRAME TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG, THEN LEFT WORK FOR THE WKEND, THUS LEAVING THE RADAR CHANNEL MALFUNCTIONING (UNOFFICIALLY) FOR AT LEAST 4 DAYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE NEW FACILITY MGR HAS STARTED FOLLOWING THE HANDBOOK ON EQUIP OUTAGES AND HAS ASKED THE REGION FOR AN INTERP ABOUT THE EVALUATOR'S INSTRUCTIONS. RPTR FEELS PROB HAS BEEN SOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.